All public land in Iten acquired illegally and currently being occupied by individuals should revert to the government with immediate effect, the Rift Valley Regional Commissioner (RC), Dr. Abdi Hassan, has directed.
The RC said he had given firm instructions to the county security team to ensure that all public land is repossessed, fenced, and protected by security personnel, saying they will not allow public land to continue being used for private or group interests.
He warned that the government will not recognise title deeds on the plots as they were illegally acquired, saying they used shot cuts to acquire them without following the laid-down procedures.
He dared the grabbers to go to court if they believe they are the rightful owners, but said they should first vacate the land as they follow up on the cases.
Speaking in Iten during a tour of the grabbed land, Hassan said the grabbers had all the time to vacate the plots since the time the president directed them to leave in January, saying their time was now up.
“We will not entertain any debate, negotiations, or discussion over the directive as the time has come to reclaim and repossess what rightfully belongs to the government,” the RC said.
He expressed satisfaction that 70% of the grabbed plots had been repossessed but said the government will not relent until the remaining 30% is repossessed to enable the government to undertake various development projects.
The RC said the team undertaking the exercise was facing a few challenges, citing absentee grabbers who could not be traced, but said that will not deter them and directed them to fence off the land whether they were there or not.
“Those thinking that we will backtrack on the exercise are dreaming. We will ensure that all the grabbers are evicted and the land reverted back to the government to be used for the intended purpose,” he warned.
Hassan said while Iten town had gained fame internationally for being a training ground for athletes, it had no room for expansion as most of the public land was in private hands, adding that some of the grabbers had even the audacity to grab the county commissioner’s premises.
He expressed outrage over the insatiable greed displayed by some unscrupulous people who wanted to own everything, saying it was against our values as Africans.
The RC was accompanied by the regional and county security teams led by Elgeyo Marakwet County Commissioner John Korir.
By Alice Wanjiru
